Raw Organic Vegan

So I keep saying I’m going to have a raw day and here it is!

For breakfast I had a double shot of wheatgrass, and a Raw Revolution spirulina and cashew bar.

I actually took a lunch break, hopped on the subway, and grabbed some awesome nourishment from the Life Thyme natural market in Greenwich Village. And me without my real camera. My camera phone stinks, so the pictures are coming up small and fuzzy. Ah, just another excuse to go do this again!
Life Thyme is not only an awesome grocery store (I got the last Dr. Cow cashew cream cheese,) but they have a RAW ORGANIC VEGAN salad bar. I don’t even remember what all this stuff is, but I took a taste of everything. Vegetable lasagna, beet salad, marinated mushrooms, hummus, and more…

Then I hit the deli for a raw pizza

and a raw nori roll for later…

And, oh yes, it’s a brownie.

I’ve got ani’s raw food kitchen, so I will attempt to actually put together my own raw food sometime in the future. In the meantime, take out raw is totally awesome.

Vegetable love!

This is some serious vegetable love. Homemade semolina flax lasagna noodles (heart shaped even!) layered with mushrooms, zucchini, kale and tofu basil “ricotta” with homemade sauce.

2 Mini heart shaped lasagnas:

6 pan sized heart shaped noodles
1/2 cup sauce
1/2 cup tofu ricotta
5 oz mushrooms sliced
1 small zucchini sliced
1/2 bunch kale (sauteed or steamed)

OK, now for the layering. Here’s what I did for the hearts. In 2 spring form heart shaped pans, I put 1 TBS sauce in the bottom, then added a noodle, then a layer each of tofu ricotta, zucchini, mushrooms, kale, sauce. Repeat, then top with noodle and sauce. Bake 375 for about 30 minutes.
Release the spring form pan mold and gently remove from the base. Serve immediately.

I’m putting down the recipes for the ingredients as I made them, but there’s enough for a whole pan of lasagna, not just the two cute little heart lasagnas.

Pasta dough:

2 1/4 cups semolina flour
2 Tbs flax seeds (ground) mixed with 6 Tbs water
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients together until a smooth ball is formed. Then knead for a few minutes. (I use the bread machine on dough cycle.) Then chill in the fridge for at least an hour (up to several days.) Roll out into thin sheets and boil a few minutes until al dente. I cut the heart shapes with the spring form pan I was using, then boiled them. The noodles will cook more when the lasagna cooks. I used a pasta machine, but this dough is pretty forgiving and you could easily roll it out with a rolling pin.

Sauce:
2-3 cloves garlic minced
½ to whole shallot or onion minced
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 big can whole tomatoes (or chopped or crushed)
¼ – 1/2 cup wine (optional)
1 -2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 -2 tsp Pizza seasoning (optional-I use Penzeys)
Up to 1 tsp salt to taste
Up to 2 TBS sugar to taste (less if tomatoes are already sweet)

Saute garlic and shallot in olive oil about 5 min.Cut up tomatoes (or squish with your fingers) and add to saute with all juices. Heat about 5 min Add wine, seasoning and cook at least another 5-10 min (or let simmer while you’re putting together whatever else you’re making). Taste sauce and add salt and/or sugar to taste.

Tofu Basil Ricotta:

1 package tofu (I use soft-there seems to be great debate on this, but I like it saucy)
2-3 TBS chopped basil (I used frozen)
1-2 TBS olive oil (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS lemon juice
2 cloves garlic

Mash all together. I use a mini food processor.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Vegetable Love Challenge – Preview

Susan at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen is hosting a Vegetable Love challenge for Valentine’s day. Check it out! You know how I’m a sucker for a food challenge. What to make, what to make…

While you’re waiting for me to get my act together…check out Karma’s awesome heart shaped spanakopita.

Today’s cooking soundtrack is the Talking Heads. Because who doesn’t love songs about buildings and food? We used to microwave. Now we just eat nuts and berries. You got it, you got it.

Oh, here comes a paparazzi preview, it’s mini heart shaped vegetable lasagnas…I made the freakin’ lasagna noodles myself and they are freakin’ heart shaped! I’m so proud of myself, I hope I don’t injure my arm patting myself on the back. I just popped them in the oven.

Life, the Universe, and Everything!

Everything pasta, that is. When I made the everything cookies, Joanna just had to challenge me to make everything, everything.It’s really more of an everything pizza in the pasta. Macaroni, homemade sauce, follow your heart mozzarella (which melted into the sauce,) onions, garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, gimme lean sausage, and lightlife pepperoni.

I loved the Iron Chef MoFo challenges, so if anyone else is up for a challenge, the secret ingredient is: everything! Just post a link in the comments and I’ll post a round up.

Everything Cookies!

There’s the everything bagel, pizza with the works (veggie of course), why not an everything cookie? Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cranberry Walnut Cookies

2 Tbs flax seeds (ground)
6 Tbs water
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup Earth Balance margarine (1/2 tub)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup semi sweet vegan chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped or ground walnuts

Preheat oven to 350

Whisk ground flax seeds together with water and set aside. This will get sticky after a few minutes. This makes 1/2 cup flax “eggs” and is the equivalent of 2 eggs.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine and sugar together, then add flax mixture and vanilla. Add the flour mixture about 1/3 at a time and combine well.

Stir in oats, raisins, choc chips, cranberries, and walnuts and make sure they are relatively evenly distributed in the dough.

Drop tablespoon size mounds onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 10 minutes until golden brown. Leave on the cookie sheet for a minute to firm up, then transfer immediately to a cooling rack.

Notes: This recipe is fairly adaptable as long as you use the basic components.

Sugar:
This time I used 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup granular sugar. I have used all “sugar in the raw” and 3/4 cup brown & 3/4 granular combo also. You could probably use less sugar, because the add ins are all pretty sweet, but I haven’t tried it with less sugar. It’s a cookie. It’s supposed to be sweet.

“Eggs:”

I used all flax for the “eggs” this time. I have also used 1/4 cup flax mixture and 1/4 cup applesauce.

Flour:

I used all purpose today, but I’ve made it with whole wheat before. All purpose, regular whole wheat, white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry flour, whatever you’ve got on hand.

“Butter:”

I’ve been using the 1/2 tub earth balance. I imagine you could use shortening or vegetable oil, but I haven’t really messed with it. Whatever you do, do not use olive oil. Just trust me.

Add ins:

Once you get past the oats, additions are all optional. Or if you don’t even want the oats, just add another 3/4 cup flour. I wouldn’t go much past 4 cups of added stuff or else they might start to fall apart easily and you won’t have much cookie in your cookie. You could use seeds, other nuts, other chips, vegan m&ms (does anyone make them?) other dried fruit, whatever you’ve got that you might want in a cookie.

Back to the Pantry

Even after my pantry purge in most of November, I seem to have as much if not more junk in my trunk, er stuff in my pantry.

So here we go again. I’m soaking some dried beans and making some broth. I’m trying to save some squash that was trying to grow itself in my kitchen.

What to do, what to do…pasta, pizza, bread, chickpea cutlets, maybe some brownies. I really should bake more. I’m going to set out to make some stuff that I can take into work for lunches (and probably dinners) this week.

More later…in the mean time, here’s the almost instant chickpea soup I tested for Robin Robertson’s Vegan on the Cheap coming out soon. Who doesn’t need fast and easy, cheap vegan eats?

And if you didn’t already think I was crazy, today’s cooking soundtrack is currently on Air Supply. Yes I said it. Air Supply. My mom used to put on records and cook when I was a kid. Next up is, don’t laugh, Dan Fogelberg.

Just so I don’t lose all my cool points with my easy listening confessions, check out the new PETA ad that was banned from the Super Bowl. ‘Veggie Love’: PETA’s Banned Super Bowl Ad